As the Moor . . . he is every inch the Venetian general. Can anyone have matched his heroic delivery, his frightening mien when deluded or his devastation when the truth is revealed? Every part of his face and body seems involved in this arresting portrayal . . . James Levine, who conducted Domingo's first Otello on record in the 1970s, has lost none of his ability to combine histrionic directness with a keen sensibility for the inner workings of a score he obviously loves, and his orchestra respond with dedicated playing.

Record Review /
Alan Blyth,
Gramophone (London) / 01. June 2004

Plácido Domingo, caught in one of his greatest roles . . . is a force of nature, showing what made him the Otello of his generation. Right from a thrilling 'Esultate!', he gives a commanding performance . . .

Record Review /
John Allison,
BBC Music Magazine (London) / 01. July 2004

Domingo, in the supremely challenging title role, has to be something more, and this particular performance, some 16 years into his long exploration of Otello, shows him confident and with hardly a sign of strain anywhere.

Record Review /
George Hall,
Opera (London) / 01. September 2004

. . . none of the versions, to my mind, catches so much of the work's immediate drama as this one, conducted by Levine . . . Elijah Moshinsky's production . . . is expertly directed in traditional, decorative sets, and Moshinsky encourages his star singers to go beyond what they usually achieve. As the Moor, Domingo is superbly dressed . . . Can anyone have matched Domingo's heroic delivery, his frightening mien when deluded, or his devastation when the truth is finally revealed to him? Every part of his face and body seems involved in this arresting portrayal, more searing even than his other versions. Renée Fleming and James Morris . . . both do very well . . . Morris gives us an interesting and unusual Iago. Here is a plausibly upright, tall courtier and confidant, who knows precisely how to manipulate Otello's simpler personality and does so with subtlety . . . James Levine hast lost none of his ability to combine histrionic directness with a keen sensibility for the inner workings of a score he obviously loves, and his orchestra responds with dedicated playing. Brian Large's video direction is as skilful as ever.